


Lullaby

by amenokuma



Series: Life After War [4]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-06
Updated: 2014-03-06
Packaged: 2018-01-14 18:51:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1277086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amenokuma/pseuds/amenokuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sweet music soothes the soul, or in this case Kanda's aching bones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lullaby

The wind howled outside, tossing leaves and branches that had come loose from nearby trees across the yard. Allen watched from his place on their bed and he frowned with concern.

"It's never been this windy since we've moved here. Will the greenhouse hold up?"

"It'll stand. Those science idiots made it with some kinda special reinforced glass. I doubt even a hurricane could break it."

"Well, I'd rather not go through one to find out."

The greenhouse was a recent addition to their home. Kanda had stopped cultivating vegetables in the ground and was experimenting with ways to grow them indoors. The flower garden in the front was still flourishing but the greenhouse was his new, favorite place, much to Allen's dismay.

"You spend more time out there than in the house. I'm being neglected," Allen said with a pout as he lay back on the mound of pillows piled up against the headboard.

His legs were parted making room for Kanda to lie in between them with his back propped against Allen's chest. Kanda gave his long, aching legs a stretch, toppling Sumi from her place on his lap and she meowed her disapproval before climbing back up to firmly plant herself on Kanda's chest. His hand absently moved to stroke her fur and she began to purr.

"At least out there I don't have to listen to the damn phone ringing off the wall. Baka Usagi thinks it's his own personal hotline."

"You were the one who said we should get one."

"If I recall you said you were gonna suggest it anyway so don't dump all the blame on me."

"But you don't have to keep breaking it. It just means we have to get someone to come back and replace it, and then all you do is bitch about people invading our home. Every bleedin' time."

"I think I liked the golems better," Kanda grumbled, shifting his legs again.

The one leg had never healed properly and as much as Allen fussed over it and massaged it with liniment Kanda was stuck with a permanent limp. Allen had finally convinced him to buy a cane, but Kanda would never admit he'd thought about getting one long before Allen brought it up. Getting Kanda to use the thing regularly was another matter.

"You should use your cane around the house more. Make things easier for yourself."

"Don't need it in the house. There's plenty of stuff to grab onto if I need it."

"Honestly, you're such a stubborn git."

"You should be thankful I don't use it in the house. I'd probably whack you with it at least ten times a day."

"Oh God, save me from the wrath of Mugen Junior!" Allen feigned in mock horror.

"Shut up, stupid sprout."

Sumi was not happy. Kanda's attentive fingers had slackened when her humans started squabbling and this would _not_ do. She unfurled herself and stood, extending her front paws out and unsheathed her claws. They caught on Kanda's shirt as she kneaded away and Kanda flinched when the claws dug deeper into his skin.

"Hey you, I'm not your scratching post," he muttered as his hand clamped down on her back. She stopped her movements and gave a large yawn. Nudging Kanda's chin with her nose brought a deep rumble of "Okay, fine," and she circled around two or three times before settling down once more. When Kanda began petting her again she sighed internally. This was much better.

Allen chuckled as his little family interacted. It reminded him of another time and place when he and Cross had been staying with Mother and Barba after Mana died. That had been a family of sorts, too; albeit a pretty dysfunctional one. He started to hum quietly.

"Sounds familiar," Kanda murmured from his contented position.

Allen stopped his humming and cocked his head to the side to better look at Kanda's face. It wasn't set in a frown for once, his expression almost soft. "It's a lullaby. I'm surprised you'd know of it."

"Tiedoll tried singing to me once at the beginning when I was having a bad night. Once, mind you. The old man was tone deaf and I told him to shut it. Didn't need that crap 'cause I wasn't a baby. He just nodded his head in that infuriating understanding way of his and didn't try it again."

"Heh, I can just picture a grumpy little Yuu-kun."

Kanda snorted.

"The first time I heard the song was after Cross and I left Mother's. Sometimes I'd still have nightmares and Cross would get fed up with me because I'd be so upset I couldn't go back to sleep. So he'd bring out Maria and tell her to sing to me. 'Sing to the brat' he'd say."

"The corpse woman?"

"Yeah, but I never thought of her as that. Mother was more like a grandmother to me, and Maria…kinda like a mother, maybe? Couldn't remember what a mother felt like, but when she would sing to me I imagined it'd be something like that."

"Huh…"

"So I'd curl up next to her and she'd sing lullabies to me until I fell asleep. I vaguely remember Cross sitting across the room smoking cigarette after cigarette, watching us. The next day he'd tell me how he'd had to go out for a drink or ten afterwards. All the booze he'd had to down and the women he'd had to surround himself with were all my fault 'cause I couldn't control my emotions. So I'd find myself in the position of having to pay off the tab Master had run up. I learned how to handle the guilt I still felt that was the root of the nightmares because I really didn't need any more debt piled on top of the mountain he already had."

"That ass…"

Allen sighed. "That's just how Master was. Because of him I quickly learned how to deal with anything. He was helping me in his own gruff way, I suppose…kinda reminds me a little of you."

"Do _not_ compare me to that…that…" Sumi's ears twitched at the rough tone, but Kanda scratched behind them and she was reassured that she wouldn't have to intervene again. The purring grew louder.

"You're right. There _is_ no comparison. You're one of a kind." Allen kissed the top of Kanda's head as his fingers carefully made their way through his hair that was slowly growing longer. The motion was as soothing to him as it was to Kanda.

"Damn right." Kanda relaxed and murmured, "You know, your voice isn't as bad as the old man's. Not that great, but it's okay."

"Would you like me to sing for you, Baka?"

"…If you want."

Allen could barely hear the reply over the rushing noise of the wind and he smiled. "This was one of the songs Maria would sing." He started off soft and low.

_"Sleep my child and peace attend thee,_   
_All through the night..."_

"…'m notta child." Kanda's words slurred as he hovered on the brink of sleep.

"I know," Allen shushed him. He knew Kanda was making _that_ face. "Let's try another version." His voice was breathy and shaky as he sang.

_"Sleep my love, and peace attend thee_   
_All through the night,_   
_Guardian angels God will lend thee_   
_All through the night,_   
_Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,_   
_Hill and vale in slumber steeping,_   
_I my loving vigil keeping_   
_All through the night."_

Allen's voice was far from professional quality but his tone was filled with a warmth that more than made up for what he was lacking.

_"Angels watching ever round thee_   
_All through the night,_   
_In thy slumbers close surround thee_   
_All through the night,_   
_They should of all fears disarm thee,_   
_No forebodings should alarm thee,_   
_They will let no peril harm thee_   
_All through the night."_

Kanda's eyes were closed and the hand on Sumi's back had ceased to move. Between Allen's singing and Sumi's purring the incessant pain in his legs had become a distant thing and he'd drifted off.

Allen edged out from under him and lay down with Kanda to his right. Always to his right, because he was blind in his left eye now and he slept on his right side so his left arm wouldn't go numb.

Sumi had moved to the end of the bed until her humans had situated themselves and when Allen motioned for her with a slight wave of his hand she curled up next to Kanda, wedging herself under his arm and licked his face. He grumbled in his sleep. Allen chuckled and spooned against Kanda's sturdy body and whispered the remainder of the song.

_"Love, to thee my thoughts are turning_   
_All through the night,_   
_All for thee my heart is yearning_   
_All through the night._   
_Though sad fate our lives may sever,_   
_Parting will not last forever,_   
_There's a hope that leaves me never_   
_All through the night."_

Under the covers Allen's hand found Kanda's and their fingers entwined as the wind whistled and moaned, and then all was silent inside the comfortable home for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics are from the Welsh folk song All Through the Night (Ar Hyd y Nos).


End file.
